


Every Journey Ends

by serendipityxxi



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-03
Updated: 2010-05-03
Packaged: 2017-11-04 23:18:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/399307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipityxxi/pseuds/serendipityxxi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place in the middle of Puppeteer after Richard & Kahlan discover Rahl's sent a fake Rahl on the trail but before they find Rachel in the woods so spoilers for Puppeteer but nothing else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Journey Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine. No profit. Don't sue.

Richard paced the clearing in frustration; it was all up to Zedd now. They had no idea where Rahl might be and no way of finding out since their possession of the journey book had obviously been discovered. It was too risky to try to get word to Zedd in the castle. They could only hope that he could get the Box of Orden before Rahl appeared in Tamarang.

Kahlan sat on a log sharpening her daggers, long dark hair falling forward to curtain her expression. A stray breeze wandered through the clearing lifting the ends of Kahlan’s hair, and bringing with it the conflicting scents of leaf mould and sunshine. It reminded Richard strongly of home for a moment. His thoughts drifted back to what Kahlan had said, about finding someone to start a family with when this was all over.

Sure he could, but would he want to? He watched Kahlan’s quick hands working in the shaft of sunlight that fell on her through the towering trees. His gaze focused on the bandage wound around her left palm and winced. It was a shallow cut but it bothered him, she’d endured too many cuts and bruises as far as he was concerned. That thought right there was why he wouldn’t want to find someone to start a family with.

Richard straddled the log Kahlan was perched on. She looked up at him with a smile, the light casting auburn and red highlights in the locks of hair around her face. He answered her with a grin of his own. “What would you do?” He asked. “If this were all over and we could do what we wanted?” He realized with a start he had no idea what her everyday life was like before this quest had taken them over.

Kahlan gave a short laugh. “I’m a Confessor, Richard. I’d go back to my duties,” She said, tone matter of fact. “Although they’d be a great deal simpler without Rahl around.” She added.

“Being a confessor is what you do, Kahlan, not who you are.” He protested.

“Being a confessor is a large part of who I am, Richard, and you asked what I’d do if Rahl were gone, not who I would be.” She pointed out in that perceptive way she had.

“True.” He ducked his head and gave her a smile then turned serious again. “But I asked what would you do if you could do what you wanted?” He pointed out in turn.

“The people of the Midlands, they’re my people Richard, they need me. I’d choose to go back to my duties if I had a choice.”

“Is that all you want out of life, Kahlan, to follow your duty?” He asked, eyes searching her face.

Kahlan bit her lip and glanced away. In the distance a bird called, high and shrill in the sudden silence. The leaves rustled in the passing breeze. “It’s not all I want, no.” She confessed softly to the forest floor.

“If I could, I’d go back for Renn in Thandor.” Richard said casually, seeing he’d pushed her to the edge of her comfort zone. “He might learn a lot from the Sisters of Light but a boy needs someone he can count on, who’s there just for him when he’s growing up. I’d teach him about tracking and everything he’d need to know about the woods. Maybe learn some new routes and go back to being a guide.”

Kahlan laughed “I bet Kings and Queens of all the land would hire you, no better protection than having The Seeker along.” She teased, eyes sparkling.

Richard smiled, brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’d build a house, with a loft bedroom for two and put the biggest bed I could fit in there.” He gestured grandly, building his castle in the air, “With a wall of windows facing east to catch the sunrise.”

“And the view of the lake.” Kahlan chimed in.

Richard hid his surprise and nodded. “Of course, a round blue lake, perfect for swimming on hot summer afternoons and for fishing.”

Kahlan nodded. “And after the sun set you could sit with someone on its shores and watch the stars, spread out across the sky like diamonds scattered on a cloth, worth so much more because you can never touch them.”

“No, you can never touch them.” Richard agreed softly.

“It would be a good life, quiet and simple and fulfilling.” Kahlan’s eyes were distant.

“It would be.” He nodded, fingers itching to brush back the lock of hair that had fallen into her face. “If I didn’t do that though, maybe I’d go into the protection business like you suggested. I’m sure there would be people who needed to be sure of their safety as they travelled to all corners of The Midlands on business, looking after their people.”

“I’m sure most people like that can take care of themselves.” Kahlan gently rebuffed.

“I’m sure they can, but it never hurts to have backup as any good fighter knows.”

“Is that all you want out of life, Richard? Travelling from town to town, facing danger, always wanting something you can never have?”

“It could be enough, with the right travelling companion. Isn’t life supposed to be about the journey and not the destination?” He smiled, bright and warm like the sun breaking through clouds on a winter’s day.

Kahlan laughed. “But Richard, every journey eventually ends.”

Richard opened his mouth to reply but just then a noise in the wood came to their ears, a sound not made by an animal.  
“Guess ours doesn’t end today.” He flashed her a lopsided grin and unsheathed his sword with the usual ring of steel on steel.

“No. Not today.” She agreed, pocketing the whetstone she’d been using to sharpen her daggers.

They got to their feet, standing together, ready to face whatever came their way.


End file.
